


how can i trust you?

by PenelopeJadewing



Series: fictober 2018 [3]
Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Final Exams, Gen, Most of the time, Sasuke is a jerk, Training, at the USJ this time, but he means well, lightning bros, mentions of aizawa - Freeform, okay maybe not this time, poor denki didn't do anything to deserve this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 00:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16186694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenelopeJadewing/pseuds/PenelopeJadewing
Summary: Sasuke's stuck with Kaminari for their final physical exams in their second year. Considering who their opponent is, Sasuke's not about to let one classmate's shortcomings risk his chances at victory.





	how can i trust you?

They’re up against Aizawa, and Sasuke’s stuck with Class 2-A’s resident idiot: Kaminari Denki.

As soon as he and the lightning brain had drawn the same number from the oversized fish bowl Principal Nezu had procured for them, Sasuke knew he was going to be bearing the brunt of the exercise. And this wasn’t an unfair judgment, it was an acknowledgment of simple fact based on multiple past experiences. The last time they had these exams, Kaminari and Ashido had failed so utterly and completely, Sasuke had felt like he was losing IQ points just watching them.

This time around, Sasuke’s not about to let his own reputation suffer because of an ill-suited partner.

They stand on the cusp of the vast and stupidly dark Hurricane Zone, with wind whipping bone-chilling rain all around and over them, soaking them to the bone through their Hero uniforms. This year, to up the ante apparently, it’s been decided that the USJ is a good choice for the exams to take place, since it gives them an assortment of environments to test their skills under pressure. As if facing off against the staff of UA, again, isn’t stressful enough.

Kaminari looks less than pleased with their draw of locations. Or maybe he’s just mentally reliving the very first time they attempted training here. Either way, it’s got him on edge and Sasuke doesn’t even need his Quirk to tell his classmate is wound up to the point of distraction.

Even more evidence that Sasuke will be the only reliable one on this field. He sighs into the pouring rain that makes his hair stick to his face.

“What kind of luck,” Kaminari offers, holding a hand flat over his eyes like that’ll actually keep the water out of his eyes. “You can’t see a thing!”

Sasuke clicks his tongue. “Tch.  _I_  can see plenty.”

He trusts his implication is clear.

It’s not.

Kaminari perks up a bit. “Oh, great. So you have, like… a plan or something, right? Mr. Top-Five?”

Sasuke had scored within the top five in the prelims this year. A lot of the less fortunate students seem intent on making sure he remembers it, if only by declining again and again their never-ending pleas for extra tutoring from him. If they had any brains at all, they’d ask Izuku. He could never say no. Or Yaoyorozu again, she loves doing that sort of thing. Alternatively, they could take their chances with Bakugou and maybe then he’d convince them of how utterly pathetic they are.

He doesn’t deign Kaminari with a response.

Admittedly, it’s less because he doesn’t feel like explaining anything to his classmate and more because he really doesn’t have a plan yet. He needs information. Data. He needs a better, more defensive position, and good view, and a chance for Aizawa to reveal his location. Then maybe he can come up with a plan.

“I mean, what am I saying, pff.” Kaminari apparently doesn’t get the idea that Sasuke doesn’t want to chat. “Of course you have a plan! You’re super smart and basically clairvoyant.”

“I’m not clairvoyant,” Sasuke counters, not letting a moment more pass of Kaminari harboring that ridiculous theory. “I’m observant. You could benefit from the skill.”

“Dude, your Quirk makes your observation skills inhuman. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to do something like that. It’s not exactly in my skill set…” Kaminari scratches his ear with all the innocent bashfulness Sasuke’s used to addressing in Izuku. He already suffers through it enough with him, why is Kaminari doing this now…

In their first year, Kaminari was an insufferable hotshot. He overestimated himself time and time again only to be put down hard.

Maybe all the blows to his ego have finally caught up with him at the worst possible time.

The alarm blares over the arena, signaling the start of the exercise. Sasuke wastes no time in sprinting forward down the rain-soaked street. Kaminari follows close behind.

“So, what  _is_  the plan?” he asks again.

Sasuke huffs. “You want it straight?”

“Duh! Hit me with it.”

“Okay. If it was up to me, I’d ditch you right here. Then maybe I’d at least have a chance of crossing the finish line for both of us.”

Kaminari’s face completely crumbles, enough that Sasuke almost feels bad.

Almost. He’s way past regrets now. Last year taught him that hesitation kills, and to hold back is to admit defeat.

“Dude, come on.” Kaminari averts his eyes to his feet as they sprint. “Not cool…”

“Maybe, but also true.” Sasuke makes a beeline for a smaller, unassuming store nestled in the shadows of two large office buildings. It looks like it’s fashioned to be some kind of jewelry shop. “With my equipment, I stand a chance against Mr. Aizawa even if he does use his Quirk. Your combat skills are moderate at best, meager at worst, and if he dampens your abilities, you’re screwed. Plus, you’re still just a one-hit wonder, Kaminari.”

Truthfully, the electric blond has improved somewhat since first year. Perhaps he trained harder over break, or perhaps all the training from last year just upped his capacity and they’re only learning the extents of it now. But either way, it’s not enough to merit trusting Kaminari to pull through as an asset.

Kaminari manages to look even more miserable with every passing syllable and by the time they stumble into the shelter the jewelry shop provides, he looks like he belongs in a commercial for animal rescue efforts.

Sasuke doesn’t understand why he’s taking it so personally. He’s pointing out current circumstances—not inescapable facts of life. If Kaminari was truly hopeless, he wouldn’t be back here, in the Hero Course for his second year in a row. But that seems to have escaped Kaminari’s attention in favor of a wave of self-pity.

Sasuke sighs again. Just what they need right now. Seems like he’ll have to explain it himself.

“Like I said. If it was up to me, I’d leave you here and win it myself.” He pauses, takes in Kaminari’s wince, and then folds his arms over his chest. “But it’s not up to me. So I can’t do that. These exams are as much about teamwork as they are about winning. How we win matters.”

Kaminari raises his head ever so slightly, looking confused and not much else. “But… you said—”

“Here’s the plan. We make Mr. Aizawa think we did just what I just said. Make him think we split up. His guard will go down a little if he thinks we’re easier targets alone.” Sasuke glances out at the rain. “Which we are. So you’ll make a mad dash for the finish. That’ll draw his attention, since you’ll be the most immediate threat.”

Kaminari’s frown deepends. “Wait, but—”

“I’ll be watching from a bird’s eye and when he has your Quirk pinned, I’ll come down on him. If he focuses on me, you turn and keep heading for the exit. He’ll be torn between the two of us. Either he focuses on keeping you from the finish line and risks me apprehending him with my tasers, or he focuses on me and risks you winning by crossing the finish line.”

For a long second, Kaminari seems to think this over—harder than usual. He glances over Sasuke’s face. “What about his scarf thing?”

“The capture weapon will be preoccupied with me most likely. I can dodge it easily enough with my Quirk. And if he catches you with it, give him a moderate shock—not enough to disable him or cripple you, but enough to get him away. Do it, even if it might hit me too. Can I trust you to do that?”

Slowly, Kaminari begins to nod, much to Sasuke’s relief. Relief that only lasts until that nod turns very suddenly to an emphatic headshake mid-word.

“Okay, I think—HEY wwwwait a second! You just said a whole lotta really nasty things, man, what the heck?” Kaminari points an accusatory finger between Sasuke’s eyes. “You literally just said that if it was up to you, you’d ditch me! You steal my gimmick, basically call me a worthless loser, and now you expect me to just comply with your plan? How can  _I_  trust  _you_?”

Sasuke smirks a little. Now he’s getting it. “In most situations? You can’t.”

Kaminari’s mouth drops and he sputters, unable to formulate an immediate response to that.

So Sasuke continues. “We’re diving head-first into a cutthroat industry where you’re going to have to do whatever it takes to survive the ranking system. Each one of us has to take every advantage we can get. Even if it means trampling others in the process.”

“You’re not exactly helping your case, dude!” Kaminari blurts.

“That said,” Sasuke pauses, waiting for his classmate to close his mouth, “in this case, the best case scenario lies in both of us succeeding. And the best case scenario is all we can shoot for. Make sense?”

He literally watches Kaminari’s guard go back down, as does his finger of accusation. He doesn’t look particularly happy about this, any more than Sasuke does, but at least he looks… marginally less offended.

That’s something. It’s plenty for Sasuke to work with.

“Okay. Let’s do it.” Kaminari sighs, scratching his ear again.

That’s all Sasuke needs. He steps up to the storefront window and peers out into the rain using his Quirk. The fact that he can still use it means Aizawa isn’t in the vicinity—or at the very least, he’s not giving his presence away yet.

“By the way,” Sasuke murmurs without glancing back. His breath fogs the window. “I didn’t steal your gimmick.”

“Taser gauntlets? Come on.”

“I merely settled on an offensive weapon that I concluded would suit my skillset best.”

“Yeah, and copied me in the process. And it’s not even as good as mine! I have a  _lightning sword_!”

“And I have a electrified baton that also functions as a sword.”

“SEE? YOU STOLE IT!”

“Hmm.”


End file.
